South Korean media: The top four robotic vacuum brands in the world are all Chinese!

On July 21, South Korean media "Herald Economic" published an article stating that the four Chinese robotic vacuum brands, including the number one globally, Roborock, accounted for more than half of the global market share in the first quarter. Not only in the domestic Chinese market, but also in Asian regions such as South Korea and European markets, they have expanded their shipments and swept the global market. Due to Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics not launching new products in the first half of the year, it is predicted that Chinese companies will continue to dominate the robotic vacuum market.

According to market research company IDC, the global shipment volume of robotic vacuums in the first quarter was 5.1 million units, an increase of 11.9% compared to the same period last year, showing double-digit growth.

Looking at the companies, the top four are all Chinese brands. Roborock maintained the first position with a market share of 19.3%. Roborock's global shipments in the first quarter were 980,000 units, an increase of 50.7% year-on-year. Ecovacs ranked second with a market share of 13.6%. Its first-quarter shipments were 690,000 units, an increase of 11%.

Dreame Technology (11.3%) and Xiaomi (9.9%) ranked third and fourth respectively. The top four Chinese robotic vacuum companies occupied 54.1% of the global market share, exceeding half.

Analysts believe that the "trade-in" policy implemented since last year has driven the sales growth of robotic vacuums in the Chinese market, supporting the strong growth of the four Chinese brands. At the same time, the active layout of sales channels by Chinese companies in overseas markets is also one of the factors contributing to growth.

According to IDC, Roborock had the highest shipments in countries such as South Korea, Germany, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Israel, and the UAE. After releasing new products "S9 Max V Ultra" and "S9 Max V Slim" in February, Roborock also launched the "Saros Z70" equipped with a robotic arm, releasing 12 new products this year alone.

IDC analysis stated that Roborock continues to achieve global growth by providing a variety of options at different price points and rapidly expanding its offline stores overseas.

Not only Roborock, other Chinese companies are also making efforts to expand into overseas markets and build a global brand image. Ecovacs focuses on the Russian and Middle Eastern markets, while Dreame robotic vacuums have set the highest shipment records in Western European countries such as France, Italy, and Belgium.

Due to the rapid rise of Chinese companies, iRobot, which once held the leading position in the U.S. robotic vacuum market, is now declining. In the first quarter of this year, iRobot's global shipments decreased by 30.6%, dropping to fifth place, with its market share also falling to 9.3%. Chinese home appliances have always been known for their low prices, but in the robotic vacuum field, Chinese home appliances have consistently adopted a high-price strategy. The Roborock S9 Max V Ultra is priced at 1.84 million won, and the Saros Z70 is priced at 2 million won. Despite the high price, they have gained recognition due to performance based on artificial intelligence and autonomous driving technology, solidifying the image of high-end home appliances.

Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics launched their first integrated robotic vacuums last year, but still lag behind the already dominant Chinese companies. In the first half of this year, a large number of new robotic vacuums from China emerged, while Samsung and LG did not launch any new products.

A South Korean industry insider said, "The leading Chinese brands continue to increase R&D investment and constantly launch new products that enhance product competitiveness. To compete with the already dominant Chinese companies, we must launch products that are superior in price, safety, and technology."

Original text: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1838259499669914/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author.